November 17th is International Students’ Day, a day celebrated all over the world to acknowledge the contributions students have made across the world. It serves as a global observance of student engagement, diversity and multiculturalism. It’s a day to be proud of your achievements as a student and the sacrifices you have made in the pursuit of education.
In honor of International Students’ Day, ISO wants to thank you for all the hard work you have done and the things you have achieved. Leaving your loved ones to travel far away to attend an institution in the U.S. and dealing with common challenges such as language barriers, homesickness, cultural differences, etc. are things that you should give yourself credit for. Being an international student can be challenging at times, but your efforts will eventually pay off. We want to use today to shine some light on how important international students are to the U.S.!
How much do international students contribute to the U.S. economy?
International students don’t only contribute to diverse and multicultural campuses, but they have also been an essential contribution to the U.S. economy.
- International students have contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, an additional 5.5% from the previous year. China represents the largest source with around 369,000 students, followed by India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.
- 6% of international students in the U.S. studied in the STEM fields in 2018-2019. Engineering was the largest academic field with 21.1% of all international students.
- They have started around 55% of America’s startup companies valued at $1 billion or more. At 75 of the 91 companies, at least one international student holds the following positions: CEO, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or Vice President of Engineering.
- International Students that are founders of U.S. billion-dollar companies have created more than 1,400 jobs on average per company. Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs make it possible for international students to work in the U.S. for at least one year and continue to work or undertake business projects.
Here are famous people who started off as international students, just like you!
Elon Musk
Elon Musk started off as an international student from South Africa. He attended Queens College in Canada but transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, earning his BA in physics and economics. Elon is now the founder of SpaceX and CEO of the electric car company Tesla. SpaceX is currently worth $100 billion and Tesla is worth $208 billion. More about Elon.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen became the first woman to be elected head of state of an African country. She served as the 24th President of Liberia. She attended Madison Business College to study economics and business administration. Then obtained her master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. In 2016, she was listed as the 83rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. More about Ellen.
Sundar Pichai
Sundar Pichai is an Indian-born business executive/engineer who is currently the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary, Google. He began working at Google in 2004 and worked his way up the ranks, contributing to some of Google’s biggest breakthroughs such as Gmail, Chrome, and Android phones. He studied undergrad in India but came to the U.S. to receive an MS from Stanford University and his MBA from the Wharton School at UPenn. He is on Time’s Most Influential People list for 2020. More about Sundar.
Michael Krieger
Michael Krieger is a successful entrepreneur and software engineer from São Paulo, Brazil. He attended Stanford University in 2004 and used his studies to help create Instagram. Michael is now the co-founder and chief technology officer for Instagram. Instagram is currently worth over $100 billion. More about Michael.
